JP2013122675A - Electrically-driven work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrically-driven work vehicle capable of performing a work by autonomous travel.SOLUTION: An electrically-driven lawn mower 10 includes: a pair of right and left rear tires 13; a pair of right and left traveling motors 16 for driving each of the rear tires 13; and a mower blade for mowing lawn and a mower motor 15 for driving the mower blade, and is capable of performing a work by autonomous travel. The electrically-driven lawn mower 10 further includes radio communication means SE for transmitting/receiving radio waves to confirm a present position and a control section for storing an autonomous travel program, to perform autonomous travel.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric work comprising a pair of left and right drive wheels, a pair of left and right traveling motors for driving the respective drive wheels, a working unit for working, and a work motor for driving the working unit. Regarding vehicles.

  Conventionally, lawn mowers (work vehicles) mow turf (grass) by rotating two mower blades provided in a mower deck so as to be substantially horizontally rotatable by engine power. And it was comprised so that the cut grass could be discharged toward back.

Japanese National Patent Publication No. 11-509798

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of global environmental problems, the movement to regulate exhaust gases including greenhouse gases has become a social trend. The response to this movement is remarkable in the automobile industry, and so-called eco cars such as hybrid cars and electric cars are being developed. In particular, in recent years, technological development for electric vehicles using a battery as a power source has been activated.

  However, such technology development is not very active in the field of work vehicles. In particular, in the field of lawn mowers, the current level of technology development is not enough. Therefore, developing an electric lawn mower has an important significance.

  On the other hand, the technology of an electric work vehicle that performs a lawn mowing work by so-called autonomous traveling, in which a driver works without getting on, has not been sufficiently established. Then, this invention is providing the electric work vehicle which can work by autonomous driving | running | working.

For this reason, the invention described in claim 1 includes a pair of left and right drive wheels,
A pair of left and right travel motors for driving the respective drive wheels;
A working section for working,
An electric work vehicle including a work motor for driving the working unit and capable of working in autonomous traveling,
further,
To run autonomously,
Wireless communication means for transmitting and receiving radio waves to confirm the current position;
And a control unit storing an autonomous running program.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is provided with a notification means that can be recognized from a distance when the autonomous traveling becomes impossible.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to the first or second aspect, a pair of travel operation levers that respectively operate rotation of the left and right travel motors;
A driver's seat seated when operating the travel control lever;
It is possible to select whether the driver gets on the vehicle to perform work or autonomous work.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to the third aspect, an attachment portion for attaching the wireless communication means is provided behind the driver's seat.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to the fourth aspect, in addition to the wireless communication means, the notification means is attached to the attachment portion.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the electric work vehicle according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the current position is confirmed using a GPS satellite, and the work is performed autonomously.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of left and right drive wheels, the pair of left and right traveling motors that drive the respective drive wheels, the working unit for working, and the drive for driving the working unit An electric work vehicle having a work motor and capable of working by autonomous traveling, and further, wireless communication means for transmitting and receiving radio waves and confirming a current position for autonomous traveling, and an autonomous traveling program And a stored control unit.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric work vehicle capable of working by autonomous traveling. Moreover, it can contribute to establishment of the technique of the electric work vehicle which performs lawn mowing work by autonomous traveling. Furthermore, the work can be performed without the need for a driver, and labor can be saved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the vehicle is provided with an informing means that can be recognized from a distance when work becomes impossible in the autonomous running, the work can be performed on the electric work vehicle even if it is not in the vicinity of the work area. It is possible to recognize in real time that it has become impossible. As a result, the work disabling time can be shortened and the operating rate of the electric work vehicle can be increased.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the vehicle includes a pair of travel operation levers that respectively operate rotations of the left and right travel motors, and a driver seat that is seated when the travel operation lever is operated. It is possible to select whether to perform work or autonomous work, so you can select autonomous driving when the driver is busy or want to do other work, and it is complicated and careful When working on a terrain or work area that requires a vehicle, a work mode can be selected in accordance with the work situation and the convenience of the worker, such as when the driver gets on and works.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the mounting portion for attaching the wireless communication means is provided behind the driver's seat, the wireless communication means can be arranged at an appropriate position according to the transmission / reception situation. To do.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the wireless communication means, the notification means is attached to the attachment portion, so that both the transmission / reception portion and the notification means can be attached to one attachment portion.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the current position is confirmed using a GPS satellite and the work is performed autonomously, the current position can be accurately recognized. Further, by using an existing GPS satellite, there is no need to separately provide a means for grasping the current position.

It is a top view of the electric lawn mower as an example of the electric work vehicle of this invention. It is a side view of an electric lawn mower. It is a rear view of the support frame vicinity. It is a perspective view of the chassis which comprises an electric lawn mower. It is a perspective view from the left front of a battery. It is a perspective view from the right rear of a battery. It is an expansion perspective view of a rotation part. (A) is a schematic view of the periphery of a cylindrical portion, (b) is a schematic view of a locking shaft, and (c) is a perspective view of a retaining pin. It is a perspective view of a machine body rear part. It is the principal part enlarged view. It is another principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that a battery is attached to the rear part of an airframe. It is a principal part enlarged explanatory view for demonstrating a mode that a battery is attached to the rear part of a body. It is a figure for demonstrating the autonomous traveling system of the electric lawn mower using a GPS satellite. It is a top view of another example of this invention. It is the side view.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, “front” refers to the forward direction of the electric work vehicle, “rear” refers to the reverse direction, “left / right” refers to “left / right”, “up / down”, respectively. Each means the “up and down” direction of the electric work vehicle. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electric lawn mower 10 as an example of the electric work vehicle of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

  The electric lawn mower (electric work vehicle) 10 includes a chassis (body frame) 11, a pair of front tires 12 on the lower front side of the chassis 11, a pair of rear tires (drive wheels) 13 on the lower rear side, and the like. Further, a mower deck 14 is provided between the front tire 12 and the rear tire 13. The side surface of the rear portion of the mower deck (working unit) 14 is opened to discharge the cut grass to the rear. Inside the mower deck 14, two mower blades (working units) (not shown) are provided side by side. More motors (working motors) 15 and 15 are attached to the rotation centers of the mower blades (the mower blades are rotated by the mower motor 15 to mow the grass). Note that the rotation center of the right mower blade is slightly rearward in the straight direction as compared with that on the left side.

  A main body cover (cowl) 20 is placed on the chassis 11. The main body cover 20 covers the entire chassis 11. A driver's seat 21 is provided on the main body cover 20 slightly in front of the rear tire 13. On the left and right sides of the driver's seat 21, traveling operation levers 22 and 22 for operating the electric lawn mower 10 are provided.

  The electric lawn mower 10 is driven by an electric motor in addition to mowing, and includes a traveling motor 16 inside each of the pair of rear tires 13, 13. Each is driven independently (in-wheel motors may be provided in the wheels of the rear tires 13, 13).

  The electric power of the two mower motors 15 and the two traveling motors 16 is supplied from the battery 25. The battery 25 is provided at the rear of the aircraft.

  Below the driver's seat 21, a control unit described later is provided. This control unit controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the traveling motor 16 of the electric lawn mower 10. In addition to the control of the traveling motor 16, the control unit also has a role of controlling the rotation of the mower motor 15 and correcting a minute voltage fluctuation of the battery 25. Moreover, the autonomous running program mentioned later is also stored in the control part.

  Note that the number of rotations of the mower motor 15 is controlled by the control unit so as to be interlocked with the number of rotations of the traveling motor 16. That is, when the traveling speed is increased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also increased, and when the traveling speed is decreased, the rotational speed of the mower blade is also decreased.

  Each of the front tires 12 and 12 is rotatably attached to the front tire bracket 17 via a shaft (that is, the front tire 12 rotates following the front tire bracket 17). The front tire bracket 17 is formed in a gate shape, and a through hole is provided in the center of the top surface portion. Bolts are passed through the through holes upward and fixed in the cylindrical front tire post 18. As a result, the front tire bracket 17 is rotatable with respect to the front tire post 18.

  The side surfaces of the left and right front tire posts 18 are respectively fixed to the end portions of the front frame 19. The front frame 19 is formed in an arc shape at both side ends.

  A deck raising / lowering pedal 24 for raising / lowering the mower deck 14 is provided slightly behind the right front tire 12. The height of the mower deck 14 can be adjusted by operating a height adjustment button (provided on the right fender 20FR, which will be described later) while stepping on the deck raising / lowering pedal 24 with a foot.

  The traveling operation lever 22 is provided so as to be able to tilt, and when the driver tilts it forward while seated in the driver's seat 21, the traveling motor 16 rotates in the forward direction. On the other hand, when the traveling operation lever 22 is tilted later, the traveling motor 16 rotates in the reverse direction. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the traveling motor 16 changes depending on the tilting degree of the traveling operation lever 22. That is, when the traveling operation lever 22 is largely moved forward (rearward), the traveling motor 16 rotates faster in the forward (reverse) direction, and when the traveling operation lever 22 is moved forward (rearward) smaller, the traveling motor 16 moves forward (rearward). Slowly rotate in the backward direction. The driver can move straight forward, turn left and right, or turn by appropriately operating the traveling operation levers 22 and 22 forward and backward.

  The right fender 20FR includes an operation system button (not shown). For example, a mowing switch for turning on and off the rotation of two mower blades in the mower deck 14, a height adjustment button for the mower deck 14, An autonomous traveling start button (button for selecting riding and autonomous traveling) to be described later is provided. The mowing switch is a limit type switch, which is turned on when the driver presses it with a finger, and turned off when pressed again. Further, the right fender 20FR is provided with a storage portion for storing small items and the like, and this storage portion is configured to be freely opened and closed by a lid LD. On the other hand, the left fender 20FL includes a drink holder.

  A support frame (attachment portion) SF is provided slightly behind the driver's seat 21. The support frame SF has a rectangular tube shape and is processed into a gate shape. Both lower ends thereof are fixed to the rear part of the chassis 11 with bolts or the like. The support frame SF is provided through the left and right fenders 20FL and 20FR.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wireless communication means SE is fixed with a bolt or the like at the upper center portion (horizontal beam portion) of the support frame SF (FIG. 3 is a view of the support frame SF viewed from the rear of the electric lawn mower 10. ). A pair of warning lamps (notification means) LT and LT are fixed to the upper portions of both sides (vertical beam portions) of the support frame SF with bolts or the like. The warning lamp LT has appropriate brightness that can be recognized from a distance.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the chassis 11. A box frame 40 is attached on the chassis 11. The box-shaped frame 40 accommodates a control unit and other electrical components. What is housed is the above-described control unit, drivers of the mower motor 15 and the traveling motor 16, the mobile station unit (reference numeral 103 described later in FIG. 14) for the electric lawn mower 10 to autonomously travel, and the like. The wireless communication means SE is also part of the mobile station unit.

  Near the rear end of the chassis 11, one end of the traveling motors 16, 16 is attached, and the rear tire 13 is attached to the traveling motor 16 via a transmission case. Brackets (front connection portions) 31 and 31 are fixed to the front left and right ends of the chassis 11 with bolts BT1. The tip of the bracket 31 is connected to the front frame 19 by welding or the like. Both lower ends of the support frame SF are respectively fixed to both sides of the rear portion of the chassis 11.

  5 and 6 show the details of the battery 25. The battery 25 can be electrically connected to the machine side of the electric lawn mower 10 with a cord (not shown), and functions as a power source for the mower motor 15 and the traveling motor 16. The battery 25 is covered from above by a cover 26. The cover 26 is formed by connecting a cover body 26A and a lid portion 26B via a hinge 26C. The cover body 26A is made of hard resin, and is attached to the battery body 27 so as to cover the battery body 27 from above. The lid portion 26B is made of the same resin as the cover body 26A, and is rotatable with respect to the cover body 26A with the hinge 26C as a fulcrum. Note that. A recess 26BF is provided at the lower end of the lid portion 26B. On the other hand, a concave portion 26AF is provided at a position of the cover main body 26A in contact with the concave portion 26BF. The concave portion 26BF is formed so that an operator can easily touch when the lid portion 26B is opened and closed. The concave portion 26AF is used when the lid portion 26B is opened and closed. It is an escape.

  Two metal plates (not shown) are attached to the lower end of the lid portion 26B, and a magnet is attached to the cover main body 26A where the metal plate abuts when the lid portion 26B is closed. Accordingly, the lid portion 26B is fixed to the cover body 26A with a constant force. When the lid 26B is opened, the upper part of the battery body 27 is exposed. A power supply port 28 for inserting a plug when charging the battery body 27 is provided on the upper part of the battery body 27. The power supply port 28 is provided with two types of plugs for charging the battery 25 by inserting an electric cord connected to a household power source, and a plug for quick charging having a larger diameter than the plug. An AC adapter and a charging device are appropriately provided between the battery 25 and the plug.

  Reinforcing portions 40S and 40S are formed on both side surfaces 27S of the battery body 27. The reinforcing portion 40 is formed by punching out a metal plate constituting the side surface 27S, and reinforces the side surface 27S. Each of the reinforcing portions 40S is provided with a rotating portion 29 (the rotating portion 29 is appropriately connected to the battery body 27 inside the reinforcing portion 40S). Both ends of the gripping part 30 are fixed to the rotating part 29 by welding or the like. The holding part 30 is formed in a substantially gate shape by bending a metal pipe. The gripping part 30 rotates about the rotating part 29 with respect to the battery body 27 (details of the rotating part 29 will be described later). Note that the rotation fulcrum of the rotation unit 29 is preferably near the center of gravity of the battery body 27. Wheel frames 32 are attached to both side surfaces 27 </ b> S of the lower part of the battery body 27 via attachment plates 31, respectively. The mounting plate 31 is fixed to the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. The mounting plate 31 is fixed to the side surface 27S by bolts.

  The wheel frame 32 has a rectangular tube shape and is formed by being bent into a substantially U-shape. Front wheel brackets 33 and 33 are fixed to both ends of the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. The front wheel bracket 33 is formed in a gate shape by bending a metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. Through holes are formed on both sides, and the front wheel 34 is rotatably attached via a bolt or the like. On the other hand, the attachment portions 35 are fixed to the central portion of the wheel frame 32 by welding or the like. A side surface of the cylindrical portion 36 is fixed to the attachment portion 35. A rear wheel bracket 37 is pivotally attached to the cylindrical portion 36. The rear wheel bracket 37 is formed in a gate shape, and a through hole is provided in the center of the top surface portion. Bolts are passed through the through holes upward and fixed in the cylindrical portion 36. As a result, the rear wheel bracket 37 is rotatably supported with respect to the cylindrical portion 36. The rear wheel bracket 37 is formed in a gate shape by bending a metal plate twice at a substantially right angle. Through holes are formed on both sides, and the rear wheel 38 is rotatably attached via a bolt or the like. Thus, the rear wheel 38 can rotate around the cylindrical portion 36.

  A mounting bracket (battery side fixing portion) 39 is fixedly provided at the upper center of the back surface 27B of the battery body 27. The mounting bracket 39 is composed of a pair of metal plates and includes a through hole 39H at the center of each. A pair of reinforcing portions 40B and 40B are formed on the back surface 27B so as to extend in the vertical direction. The reinforcing portion 40 is formed by punching out a metal plate constituting the back surface 27B.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A to 8C, the rotation unit 29 provided on both side surfaces 27 </ b> S of the battery body 27 is fixed to the rotation shaft (rotation fulcrum) 72 and the rotation shaft 72. Bracket 76, bracket 76, locking shaft 74 that can be inserted into and removed from the bracket 76, and cylindrical portion 73 that is fixed inside the bracket 76 (the rotation shaft 72 is connected to the cylindrical portion 73. And a cylindrical guide portion 75 fixed to the outside of the bracket 76 (the guide portion 75 can be inserted into the lock shaft 74 so as to be freely inserted and removed). Therefore, the locking shaft 74 is in a position eccentric with respect to the rotation shaft 72.

  In the cylindrical portion (lock mechanism) 73, a through hole 73A and a through hole 73B having the same diameter are formed so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. On the other hand, a through-hole having substantially the same diameter as the through-holes 73A and 73B is formed in the rotation shaft 72 so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. A retaining pin (lock mechanism) PN2 can be inserted into the through holes 73A and 73B and the through hole of the rotating shaft 72 (in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the retaining pin PN2 is inserted into the through hole 73A. In this state, it is referred to as a transfer position described later). Further, a through hole 75A is formed in the guide portion 75 so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. The locking shaft 74 is also formed with a through hole substantially the same as the through hole 75A so as to penetrate in the diameter direction. A retaining pin PN <b> 2 can be inserted into the through hole 73 </ b> A of the guide portion 75 and the through hole of the locking shaft 74. The retaining pin PN2 includes a head portion and an insertion portion PN2B, and a retaining portion PN2A is rotatably attached to the head portion. The rotation shaft 72 is rotatably supported by the rotation support portion 71. The rotation support portion 71 is attached to the battery main body 27 with a bolt. The locking shaft 74 can be inserted into a guide portion 50G of the bracket 50 described later. The cylindrical portion 73 and the retaining pin PN2 are collectively referred to as a lock mechanism.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, brackets (airframe side connecting portions) 50 and 50 are fixed to the rear ends of the chassis 11 and 11 with bolts. A through hole is formed at the rear end of the bracket 50, and a cylindrical guide portion 50G is inserted and fixed by welding or the like. The abutting portion 51 is passed over the rear portions of the chassis 11 and 11 and fixed with bolts. The contact portion 51 is formed by processing a metal plate, and its main portion is a flat surface formed so as to incline in the forward direction. The portion 51 is not limited to this shape, and may be any shape as long as the back surface 27B of the battery 25 can be provided, and may be composed of a plurality of members). A rubber plate (buffer part) (not shown) is affixed to the surface of the contact part 51 so as to alleviate the impact when the battery 25 is put on and contacted. A mounting portion 52 is provided on the contact portion 51, and a pair of brackets 53 and 53 are mounted on both sides of the mounting portion 52. Coil springs (buffer portions) 54 are respectively attached to the upper side of the bracket 53. A mounting bracket (airframe side fixing portion) 56 is fixed between the brackets 53 and 53 via a bracket 55. In addition, a buffer part is not limited to the coil spring 54, All elastic members can be applied.

  The mounting bracket 56 is composed of a pair of metal plates, and a through hole is formed at the center of each of the mounting brackets 56, and a cylindrical guide portion 56G is inserted therein and fixed by welding or the like. A locking rod 57 is inserted into the guide portion 56G. The locking rod 57 is formed of a metal rod, and one end of the locking rod 57 is prevented from coming off. Further, a through hole is formed in the radial direction at the other end. The fixing pin PN1 is fitted into the through hole. The head of the fixing pin PN1 is provided with a ring for hooking a finger or the like when pulling out. The spacing between the mounting brackets 56, 56 is formed wider than the spacing between the mounting brackets (battery side fixing portions) 39, 39 provided in the battery 25, and the mounting brackets (battery side fixing portions) 39, 39 are the mounting brackets. It is configured to be disposed between 56 and 56. Further, the through hole 39H formed in the mounting bracket 39 is formed to a size that allows the locking rod 57 to be inserted and removed.

  A horizontal frame 58 is fixed between the chassis 11 and 11 below the contact portion 51, and a pair of brackets 59 and 59 are fixed to the horizontal frame 58. A roller (contact promoting portion) 60 is rotatably attached to each bracket 59. The roller 60 includes a rubber tire portion and a wheel portion that supports the tire portion from the inside. A through hole is formed in the center of the wheel portion, and the support shaft 61 is inserted. The roller 60 is freely rotatable around the support shaft 61. One end of the support shaft 61 is fixed to the bracket 59, and the other end is fixed to the receiving portion 62. The receiving part 62 is fixed to the horizontal frame 58. The roller 60 is for facilitating the operation of applying the battery 25 to the contact portion 51, as will be described later. The contact promoting portion is not limited to the roller 60, and may have any shape as long as the same effect can be obtained.

  In the electric lawn mower 10 configured as described above, the battery 25 can be removed and moved alone to be charged. A method of attaching the charged battery 25 to the machine of the electric lawn mower 10 will be described next. As shown in FIG. 12, the battery 25 is pushed while holding the grip portion 30 of the battery 25, and is brought close to the main unit of the electric lawn mower 10. Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the grip part 30 is rotated from the transport position to the attachment position (see also FIGS. 7 and 8A to 8C). Specifically, when the latching portion PN2A of the retaining pin PN2 inserted in the cylindrical portion 73 is rotated and separated from the insertion portion PN2B, the retaining pin PN2 is unlocked, and the retaining pin PN2 passes through the cylindrical portion 73. Remove from hole 73A.

  As a result, the grip portion 30 can be rotated around the rotation shaft 72 and the grip portion 30 is rotated forward. Then, the through-hole of the rotation shaft 72 and the through-hole 73B of the cylindrical portion 73 are aligned, and the insertion portion PN2B of the retaining pin PN2 is inserted. Further, the retaining portion PN2A is rotated to the vicinity of the insertion portion PN2B so that the retaining pin PN2 is not pulled out of the cylindrical portion 73. In this way, the grip portion 30 is in the attachment position as shown in FIG. 13 (in FIG. 13, the alternate long and short dash line indicates the state where the grip portion 30 is in the transport position).

  Then, the battery 25 is further approached toward the apparatus. Next, the latching portion PN2A of the retaining pin PN2 inserted into the retaining shaft 74 is rotated to be separated from the insertion portion PN2B, and the retaining pin PN2 is removed from the guide portion 75 and the retaining shaft 74. Further, the locking shaft 74 is extracted from the bracket 76 and the guide portion 75. In this state, the battery 25 is brought closer so that the bracket 50 on the machine side is positioned between the brackets 76 on the battery side. Furthermore, the guide part 75 and the guide part 50G are match | combined, and the latching shaft 74 is inserted in both. Then, the retaining pin PN2 is inserted into the guide portion 75 and the locking shaft 74 again to prevent the locking shaft 74 from coming off. In this way, the battery 25 is connected to the chassis (airframe) 11 of the electric lawn mower 10.

  Next, the grip 30 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. Then, the front wheel 34 of the battery 25 is lifted and the back surface 27B of the battery body 27 comes into contact with the roller 60. At this time, since the tire portion of the roller 60 is made of rubber, the impact on the battery main body 27 due to contact can be reduced. In this state, the center of gravity of the battery 25 is located behind the rotation center of the grip portion 30.

  When the grip portion 30 is further rotated counterclockwise, the back surface 27 </ b> B of the battery body 27 moves while contacting the roller 60. Since the roller 60 is rotatable, the battery body 27 can be easily moved. The battery 25 rotates around a locking shaft (a connecting portion between the battery 25 and the machine body) 74 while being in contact with the roller 60. At this time, since the reinforcing portions 40B and 40B are formed at positions where the two rollers 60 and 60 abut, it is possible to prevent the back surface 27B from being deformed by the roller 60.

  Further, the gripping portion 30 is rotated counterclockwise so that the back surface 27B of the battery main body 27 is brought into contact with the contact portion 51, thereby completing the operation of holding the electric loan mower 10 of the battery 25 to the body. . At this time, since the rubber plate (buffer part) and the coil spring (buffer part) 54 disposed on the surface of the contact part 51 receive the back surface 27B of the battery 25, the impact when the back surface 27B contacts the contact part 51 is affected. It is possible to relax (the buffer portion may not be provided. Further, only one of the rubber plate and the coil spring 54 may be disposed as the buffer portion).

  Before starting the work of attaching the battery 25 to the airframe (or during the work), the locking rod 57 inserted in the mounting brackets (airframe side fixing portions) 56, 56 attached to the rear part of the airframe is preliminarily attached. Pull it out. Specifically, the fixing pin PN1 inserted in the diameter direction at the tip of the locking rod 57 is pulled out to release the latching, and then the locking rod 57 is pulled out from the mounting bracket 56. When the back surface 27B of the battery body 27 comes into contact with the contact portion 51, the mounting bracket (battery side fixing portion) 39 is disposed between the mounting brackets 56, and the through hole 39H and the guide portion 56G are combined to Insert the stop rod 57. When the insertion is completed, the fixing pin PN1 is inserted into the tip of the locking rod 57 and latched. Thereby, the battery 25 is fixed to the airframe.

  In this state, the battery 25 is stable because the center of gravity of the battery 25 is positioned ahead of the rotation center of the grip portion 30. A cord having a coupler is provided on each of the battery 25 side and the machine body side, and the power of the battery 25 can be supplied to the machine body side by connecting both the couplers.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the lawn mowing work is performed unattended by an autonomous traveling system using a GPS satellite 125. In addition to the electric lawn mower 10 having the mobile station unit 103, the autonomous traveling system includes a GPS satellite 125 and a reference station unit 104 installed in an area (for example, a golf course) where lawn mowing is performed (reference station unit). 104 may be removed after the work).

  The mobile station unit 103 includes a GPS antenna 108, a GPS receiving unit 109, a control unit 110 as a control unit including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, an operation unit 111, a display unit 112, a wireless unit 113, and the like. A radio signal from the GPS satellite 125 received by the GPS antenna 108 is transmitted to the control unit 110 via the GPS reception unit 109 by a cable. The control unit 110 stores an autonomous traveling program.

  The operation unit 111 is an interface for performing setting for autonomous driving described later, initial setting for GPS, and the like, and is connected to the control unit 110 via a cable. The display unit 112 is cable-connected to the control unit 110 and displays the data processing status in the control unit 110 and various settings input by the operation unit 111. The wireless unit 113 is used for wireless communication between the mobile station unit 103 and the reference station unit 104. The main body sensor 122 detects various types of information on the electric lawn mower 10 such as the processing status of the autonomous running program and the operating status of the running motor 16 and the mower motor 15 during autonomous running. When the main body sensor 122 detects an abnormality (that is, when the operation cannot be performed by autonomous traveling), the alarm lamp LT is blinked to notify the surroundings of the abnormality.

  Note that the operation unit 111 is not limited in form as long as the operator can perform an input operation such as a keyboard, a switch, a lever, a push button, or a dial. Furthermore, the operation unit 111 and the display unit 112 may be integrated as a touch panel. The operation unit 111 and the display unit 112 are provided in the right fender 20FR. The GPS antenna 108, the GPS receiving unit 109, and the wireless unit 113 constitute the wireless communication unit SE shown in FIGS.

  The reference station unit 104 has substantially the same configuration as the mobile station unit 103, and includes a GPS antenna 114, a GPS receiving unit 115, a processing unit 116, an operation unit 117, a display unit 118, a wireless unit 119, and the like.

  The GPS antenna 114 of the reference station unit 104 is installed upright on the ground. Members other than the GPS antenna 114 constituting the reference station unit 104 are housed in a case.

  Next, an autonomous traveling system when performing lawn mowing work with the electric lawn mower 10 will be described. The autonomous traveling system includes a main body sensor 122, a traveling motor 16, a mower motor 15, and the like.

  A radio signal from the GPS satellite 125 transmitted at a certain time is received by the GPS antenna 108 of the mobile station unit 103 and transmitted to the control unit 110 via the GPS reception unit 109.

  A radio wave signal transmitted from the GPS satellite 125 at the same time is also received by the GPS antenna 114 of the reference station unit 104 and transmitted to the processing unit 116 via the GPS receiving unit 115. Further, it is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless unit 119 to the control unit 110 via the wireless unit 113.

  The control unit 110 compares and contrasts the radio signal received by the reference station unit 104 and the radio signal received by the mobile station unit 103, and the radio signal transmitted at the same time is received by the GPS antenna 108 and the GPS antenna 114. The relative position between the mobile station unit 103 and the reference station unit 104 is calculated based on the phase difference at the time and radio signal information from a plurality of satellites, and the position of the mobile station unit 103 is calculated. The above calculation is performed by an autonomous traveling program stored in the control unit 110.

  By comprising in this way, the position of the electric lawn mower 10 in the lawn mowing work area can be measured with high accuracy and in real time.

  The motion sensor 122 is a generic name of sensors for detecting information necessary for mowing the lawn in autonomous traveling, such as the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10, the three-dimensional posture, the rotational speed of the traveling motor and the mower motor. is there. More specifically, there are rotation speed sensors of the left and right traveling motors 16, 16, rotation speed sensors of the left and right mower motors 15, 15, a vehicle direction sensor, a vehicle inclination sensor, and the like (for example, a three-dimensional attitude is detected). When the electric lawn mower 10 is in an unstable posture in traveling, the traveling speed can be reduced by the control unit 110). Detection signals from these motion sensors 122 are transmitted to the control unit 110.

  Based on the detection signal from the motion sensor 122 and the position information of the electric loan mower 10 by the GPS unit 102, the rotation of the traveling motor 16 of the electric loan mower 10 and the rotation of the mower motor 15 are performed by an autonomous traveling program stored in the control unit 110. To control. Further, when the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10 becomes slow (the rotational speed of the traveling motor 16 becomes small), the rotational speed of the mower motor 15 is controlled to be small. On the other hand, when the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10 is increased (the rotational speed of the traveling motor 16 is increased), the rotational speed of the mower motor 15 is controlled to be increased. In this way, the lawn mowing amount is always controlled to be constant regardless of the traveling speed of the electric lawn mower 10.

  Next, the procedure of autonomous driving of the electric loan mower 10 will be described. First, among the operation buttons arranged on the right fender 20FR, the autonomous running start button is pressed to turn on the circuit.

  Then, based on the autonomous traveling program stored in the control unit 110 and the position information of the mowing work area, the electric lawn mower 10 starts the mowing work by autonomous traveling. At this time, the electric lawn mower 10 periodically receives radio waves from the GPS satellite 125 and transmits / receives radio waves to / from the reference station 104 in a critical manner.

  When the work end point is reached, the electric loan mower 10 automatically ends autonomous driving and stops. When the autonomous traveling is completed, the autonomous traveling start button among the operation buttons arranged on the right fender 20FR is pressed again to turn the circuit off. The right fender 20FR and the left fender 20FL are each provided with an emergency stop button so that an operator can approach the electric loan mower 10 and press the emergency stop button to forcibly stop the electric loan mower 10 during autonomous traveling. Also good.

  Although a plurality of autonomous traveling routes of the electric loan mower 10 can be created, it is desirable to select the route having the shortest traveling route from the viewpoint of work efficiency. However, there are obstacles (signboards, tower legs, etc.) in the lawn mowing work area, a specific place in the mowing work area is soft ground, or a point where the electric lawn mower 10 can enter the lawn mowing work area. It may be determined in consideration of various situations such as being restricted to a specific place.

  When the electric lawn mower 10 is traveling autonomously, an abnormal situation, that is, when it becomes impossible to run for some reason, or when the mower motor 15 becomes unable to rotate, this is detected by the motion sensor 122 and based on a signal from the control unit. Then, the warning lamp LT is blinked so that the abnormality of the electric loan mower 10 can be recognized from a distance.

  15 and 16 show another example of the present invention. In this example, the driver's seat 21 and the travel operation lever 22 are not provided. Further, the rear part of the main body cover 20 includes a cover center part 20M, a left fender 20FL on the left side thereof, and a right fender 20FR on the right side. A wireless communication means SE ′ protrudes substantially at the center of the cover center portion 20M. Further, a warning lamp LT ′ is provided at the rear part of the cover center part 20M. The wireless communication means SE ′ corresponds to the wireless communication means SE of the above example, and the warning lamp LT ′ corresponds to the warning lamp LT of the above example. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the above example.

  Note that the notification means is not limited to the alarm lamp LT, and for example, a voice alarm device that notifies abnormality by voice may be used. Further, the electric loan mower 10 may not be provided with a notification unit.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and can take any form within a scope not departing from the gist of the invention.

  The electric work vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the electric lawn mower in the above example, and can be applied to an electric work vehicle used for any work.

10 Electric loan mower (electric work vehicle)
13 Rear tire (drive wheel)
15 More motor (working motor)
16 Traveling motor 125 GPS satellite LT, LT 'Warning lamp (Warning means)
SE, SE 'Wireless communication means

Claims (6)

A pair of left and right drive wheels;
A pair of left and right travel motors for driving the respective drive wheels;
A working section for working,
An electric work vehicle including a work motor for driving the working unit and capable of working in autonomous traveling,
further,
To run autonomously,
Wireless communication means for transmitting and receiving radio waves to confirm the current position;
An electric work vehicle comprising: a control unit storing an autonomous traveling program.   The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that can be recognized from a distance when work becomes impossible in the autonomous traveling. A pair of travel control levers for respectively operating the rotations of the left and right travel motors;
A driver's seat seated when operating the travel control lever;
The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driver can select whether the driver gets on the vehicle to perform work or autonomous work.   The electric work vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising an attachment portion for attaching the wireless communication unit behind the driver's seat.   The electric work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, in addition to the wireless communication means, the notification means is attached to the attachment portion.   6. The electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a current position is confirmed using a GPS satellite, and work is performed autonomously.

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